Going to the movies is one of my favorite things to do. I probably always will. Now that we have 3D movies I'm like a little kid in a candy store. You don't have to twist my arm to get me to experience the joys of a well made 3D experience. Having four little girls who enjoy a 3D movie as much as I do gives me the perfect excuse to see all the latest CGI animations coming out. 3D works by making sure each eye sees a slightly different picture than the other with each image representing the perspective of each eye.
As each eye perceives the world from a slightly different perspective due to them being about 2 inches apart this effectively mimics the way we see the real world and creates a more realistic 3D image on a 2D screen. Every 3D image or movie you view uses this same principle but may go about it in a slightly different manner.
Firstly, let's get the anaglyph method out of the way. In case you don't know the term anaglyph refers to the red and blue glasses which are usually made out of cardboard. The images for each eye have either a red or blue tint. Your eyes have the corresponding image filtered out by the colored lenses thus allowing each eye to see only one image each. This technique suffers from muted colors and blurriness so has never really been used for feature length movies.
Alternate-frame sequencing is the technical term coined for active shutter glasses. Each image is shown alternately on the screen. When an eye is not supposed to see the image it is blocked by the shutter over that eye going dark. When the technology was fairly new many people complained of a visible flickering in the image. It's for this reason that a TV needs to be have a refresh frequency of 120Hz or higher to double the frame rate of the animation on screen. Most new models of TVs and projectors being manufactured today are capable of this higher frequency.
There are pros and cons to using active shutter glasses. The major disadvantage is that the glasses require power either through a cord or from batteries. If you are blessed with a large family you are either going to create a jungle of cables or you will have a rather large expense for batteries. The major advantage is that the technology has been around for a while now and projectors and TVs using this method are relatively cheap. If you only need one or two pairs of glasses then this would be the way to go.
Technological research has created new ways of displaying 3D imagery in the home. Polarized light stereoscopy, currently popular in cinemas, is now being made available in the home marketplace through the use of projectors. It's a very efficient way of creating 3D images as both images can now be displayed on the screen at the same time. Special polarized lenses in the glasses are polarized to only let in the correct image while blocking the other.
The major disadvantage of this method is the cost. It's new technology so prices are still quite high. Another disadvantage is that you will need to buy a silver screen to get the best viewing experience. Silver screens make sure the light reaching your eyes remains polarized so the picture retains its quality.
Because of it's advantages polarized light stereoscopy will eventually become the dominant method of playing 3D movies in the home. The glasses don't require batteries, are cheaper and also lighter than active shutter glasses. Your audience can be larger and more spread out due to the large viewing angles that polarized stereoscopy provides. Shutter glasses also have a tendency to darken the image by about 20%. Polarized glasses can reduce this to about 10%.
As each eye perceives the world from a slightly different perspective due to them being about 2 inches apart this effectively mimics the way we see the real world and creates a more realistic 3D image on a 2D screen. Every 3D image or movie you view uses this same principle but may go about it in a slightly different manner.
Firstly, let's get the anaglyph method out of the way. In case you don't know the term anaglyph refers to the red and blue glasses which are usually made out of cardboard. The images for each eye have either a red or blue tint. Your eyes have the corresponding image filtered out by the colored lenses thus allowing each eye to see only one image each. This technique suffers from muted colors and blurriness so has never really been used for feature length movies.
Alternate-frame sequencing is the technical term coined for active shutter glasses. Each image is shown alternately on the screen. When an eye is not supposed to see the image it is blocked by the shutter over that eye going dark. When the technology was fairly new many people complained of a visible flickering in the image. It's for this reason that a TV needs to be have a refresh frequency of 120Hz or higher to double the frame rate of the animation on screen. Most new models of TVs and projectors being manufactured today are capable of this higher frequency.
There are pros and cons to using active shutter glasses. The major disadvantage is that the glasses require power either through a cord or from batteries. If you are blessed with a large family you are either going to create a jungle of cables or you will have a rather large expense for batteries. The major advantage is that the technology has been around for a while now and projectors and TVs using this method are relatively cheap. If you only need one or two pairs of glasses then this would be the way to go.
Technological research has created new ways of displaying 3D imagery in the home. Polarized light stereoscopy, currently popular in cinemas, is now being made available in the home marketplace through the use of projectors. It's a very efficient way of creating 3D images as both images can now be displayed on the screen at the same time. Special polarized lenses in the glasses are polarized to only let in the correct image while blocking the other.
The major disadvantage of this method is the cost. It's new technology so prices are still quite high. Another disadvantage is that you will need to buy a silver screen to get the best viewing experience. Silver screens make sure the light reaching your eyes remains polarized so the picture retains its quality.
Because of it's advantages polarized light stereoscopy will eventually become the dominant method of playing 3D movies in the home. The glasses don't require batteries, are cheaper and also lighter than active shutter glasses. Your audience can be larger and more spread out due to the large viewing angles that polarized stereoscopy provides. Shutter glasses also have a tendency to darken the image by about 20%. Polarized glasses can reduce this to about 10%.
About the Author:
David Woods is a big fan of latest TV and laptops, check out his reviews for Samsung plasma TV and Macbook Pro Review.
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